All the people already know that China is the most populated country in the world. However, the massive number of people in one place is not the only thing that makes China impressive. It has a rich culture that is old for many centuries.
Getting familiar with Chinese culture, mentality, and tradition is not an easy task. People should primarily strive to learn the language before they start the journey. With appropriate assistance, and the desire to learn, accomplishing that part of the job won't be a problem. Yet, people should prepare themselves for that journey. The fact that people can say the word “and” in a couple of ways confirms that statement.
Still, the complexity of the language is not something that people should be afraid of. The same type of issues exists with all the languages in the world. Looking for additional inspiration may be the key here. Because of that, hearing a couple of interesting facts that will help you understand the Chinese language may be an additional inspiration. Let's find them out!
Many people probably think that Chinese calligraphy is only a form of writing. However, it has a lot deeper meaning for all the Chinese people. It is a form of art that many Chinese people are proud of.
Thanks to the popularity of Chinese calligraphy, people managed to develop different types of art forms. Good examples of that are ornate paperweights, ink stones, seal carvings, etc.
New Year is a holiday that people use to spend more time with beloved ones. In almost all parts of the world, people celebrate it on 31st December. Some countries in Eastern Europe celebrate it 13 days later. However, when we talk about China, people here celebrate New Year in February.
The celebration starts on February 12 and lasts for 16 days. In most cases, the preparation for New Year's Eve starts seven days earlier. That confirms how important that holiday is for the entire population.
It is not a secret that people from Western culture do not believe in the horoscope a lot. However, in China, things are different than that. Chinese Zodiac sign is also known as Sheng Xiao. It contains 12 animals like a tiger, horse, rooster, etc. All these animals are related to every year of the cycle. Check the image below to find out your zodiac sign.
Officially, China is an atheistic country. However, that doesn't mean things are the same in reality. People will manage to see that the first time they come to China. Most of the people there practice Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism.
The last one from the list probably has the strongest influence on society. People that practice Confucianism respect elders, family, rulers, etc.
The name of the characters Chinese people are using is Hanzi. Believe it or not, there are around 100 000 of them. That is probably a fact that will scare many people. However, no one expects that non-native Chinese speakers will learn them all.
Improvement of Chinese writing is the same as the improvement of English writing. People should look for useful examples that can help them boost their writing skills. For instance, non-native English people would check out writing examples at the best writing services online and manage to see how professionals are doing it. Collaborating with experts for the Chinese language will make the process of adaptation a lot easier.
In most places in the world, tea is only a beverage. However, in China, it has an essential form of socialization. When people enter the Chinese house, the first question they will hear is - “Would you like a cup of tea?” For instance, People live in the west can associate that with business espressos or the coffees they use to drink at cafes.
Officially, the length of the Great Wall of China is 21,196 kilometres or 13,170 miles. Many people have probably heard that the Great Wall of China is visible from the moon. However, the evidence for that statement does not exist. However, that fact does not neglect the importance of this world wonder for the Chinese culture.
P.S. Chinese people don't call it “the Great Wall”. They would rather use the phrase “The Long Wall”. However, the word “Wall” has a different meaning for Chinese people. Because of that, the direct translation of the name is “Long City”.
In most parts of the world, people will use knives and forks when eating. However, more than one billion individuals in the world are using chopsticks. The inspiring fact about chopsticks is that they are old for around 5000 years. They were primarily used as cook implements, but Chinese people started using them as eating tools later.
In almost every language in the world, there are different dialects and accents. However, Chinese dialects are a bit specific. Mandarin is one of the most popular language in China. More precisely, it is the most natively spoken language in the world. That is the reason why it is the standard language in China.
However, it is not the only dialect people can find across the country. Officially, there are seven of them. Some of them are Yue, Min, Xiang, Kejia, etc. In some cases, the differences between the dialects are significant. That is something that non-native speakers should have in mind.
However, that is another fact about the Chinese language that should not scare people. They should start with basics, and try to use every opportunity to expand their vocabulary. Speaking with native speakers will also help them learn some cool Chinese slang phrases. For instance, they will learn how to express themselves when they want to stay at home, when they are angry, etc. Sooner or later, all those slangs are going to become part of their everyday routine.
The red color is the color of joy, luck, and happiness for Chinese people. That is one of the reasons why Chinese brides are wearing red traditional clothes on the wedding day. Despite that, Chinese people often decorate their kitchen in red. In both cases, the reason why they do that is the same. They want to bring luck to their lives and protect themselves from evil.
As previously mentioned, Chinese people value family gatherings a lot. That is the reason why the entire country is celebrating all the festivals together with their relatives and family members. Almost every festival has some specific rule. For instance, families will decide on eating a specific food. People should understand that food is everything for the Chinese people.
For many cultures, dragons are associated with something dangerous, scary, and bad. However, that is not the case for Chinese culture. When tourists come to China, they can expect to see dragons on almost every corner. They are a symbol of success, wealth, and power.
These 12 facts confirm how rich Chinese culture is. They can all be the inspiration for people that plan to improve their knowledge of different Chinese dialects. Mandarin dialect is the most popular one, and most beginners usually start from there. Later, after they get in love with Chinese culture and mentality, they can try to expand their knowledge.
Author Bio: Lori Gillen is a Blogger/Content Creator who is specialized in the field of Digital Marketing & Data Analysis with 5 years of experience. Currently working as a Senior Content Creator.
